Honest Company is overpriced, Method products don’t work, Mrs. Meyers is a close comparison, but for the price and quality, Modere is a win-win.

I’ve been using the Environmental Working Group (EWG) app on every product that enters my home. I recommend doing this yourself to have a better idea of how much you and your family are being exposed to. It’s shocking how many products are on the store shelves that are actually harmful to us, the consumers.

The clean movement started in the 1970s, and has since exploded. From cleaner foods and household products to beauty and skincare, there are now several clean company options. My favorites are the ones who take initiative to operate in a sustainable and eco-friendly way, like Modere and Honest.

*Depending on the chemical, these longer-term health effects might include:

organ damage.
weakening of the immune system.
development of allergies or asthma.
reproductive problems and birth defects.
effects on the mental, intellectual or physical development of children.
cancer.

The time is now. As consumers, we are changing the market. More people are realizing that we can live a more healthy life and feel better by not being exposed to toxins that have long term effects.

Knowing my children will grow up having less health issues is everything to me. Plus, I don’t know about you, but when I’m 70 I plan to still be kicking ass, and be an active grandparent!

It doesn’t have to be complicated, just start:

Start with just one product

Keep it simple and low stress. Start making the switch one product at a time. Listen, I didn’t throw away all of the products in my hall closet one night after a glass of wine. My frugal nature would never allow it! Start with your most used products, and gradually move on from there. I began swapping things out each week.

Stay away from artificially scented products

Look for items that are *actually naturally scented. Fragrance chemicals have been legitimately linked to cancer, birth defects, endocrine disruption and other serious health conditions in everything from children’s shampoo to body lotion to perfumes. *Check ingredients list.

The fewer ingredients, the better

The more ingredients in a product (both consumable or for external/environmental use), the more likely it won’t be good news for your health. Aim for five or fewer ingredients — and the fewer, the better! For example, a bag of chips with just corn, salt and oil will be a much better option than one with a long ingredient list.

Go for a good multi-purpose cleaner

Having cleansers for every item in our homes takes up A LOT of space. Plus, it creates a lot of waste! Go for an all-purpose cleanser like this one, or consider a DIY recipe like these. Buy yourself a bottle, and design a pretty label from vistaprint and voila!

Don’t be afraid to change your mind

You don’t have to commit to a certain product, recipe, or brand right away. I’ve been a sucker for Clorox (which I still use sometimes) and still associate the smell of bleach with being “clean enough.” It’s a process, but a freeing and extremely beneficial one!